Platform power plays: healthcare’s social media evolution 2025

Beth Gaffey | Senior Account Director, PR, Digital and Social Communications, Precision AQ

The social media landscape is never stagnant. New platforms, algorithms and features appear constantly as platforms jostle for more market share. Keeping up with the latest advances is hard, especially in an industry with strict regulations.

Below, we explore key topics that we think will become more prominent as we move through 2025, and important considerations to watch out for in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

What’s new?

The rise of AI

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Between 2023 and 2024, there was a reported 95% growth in social media marketers using AI to revise and rewrite copy.¹ Today, 82% of marketers say that generative AI helps them create significantly more new content than they could without it.² Now that AI truly seems to be here to stay, both for the creation and revision of social media content, there are some key considerations for healthcare companies to take into account.

Takeout: Companies using generative AI for social content looks likely to increase as businesses continue to integrate AI into their ways of working. Supporting the integration of AI in a secure, compliant manner will allow pharmaceutical companies to reap the rewards by producing more ideas, posts and imagery suitable for key audiences identified, all executed by innovative and experienced marketing teams.

Regulatory updates

Driven by the demand for weight-loss injections, there has been a rise in prescription-only medicines (POMs) being advertised to consumers on social media. This in turn has resulted in an increase in legal cases being brought by regulatory bodies against pharmaceutical companies who are deemed to be in breach of professional codes of practice.³

Takeout: The rise in the sale and marketing of medical products via social media is now an area of increasing media and public interest. Pharmaceutical marketing teams should ensure familiarity with relevant codes of practice for all markets where social media advertising is being undertaken to make certain that all ads are compliant with the latest updates.

Crowdchecking

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Meta is getting rid of fact checkers across its platforms, which include Instagram, Threads and Facebook in the USA.⁴ Taking the lead from “X”, platform users will be able to add notes to any posts that they deem to be misleading or inaccurate – but who will check the checkers!

Whilst there are currently no plans to disband fact checkers in other markets, the global nature of social media platforms seems to suggest it’s only a matter of time until this is rolled out more widely, and companies should keep an eye on the ever-changing policies and practices of social media platforms.

Health misinformation is a minefield on social media, and can be harmful to patients. The impact of “crowdchecking” is yet to be fully analysed, however, health literacy and being a trusted source of information remains fundamental within the healthcare industry.

Takeout: Whilst content remains king, “crowdchecking” will become the new norm across the Meta platforms. Embracing health literacy and ensuring accuracy, honesty and correct referencing is more important than ever for healthcare companies, not only for reputation management but also for adherence to code regulations. The Good Patient Partnership Guide 2025 provides a deep dive into health literacy for patients.

Booming Bluesky

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Bluesky is fast becoming a big player in the social media space, especially for scientists. There was a 75% increase in scientists on the platform between August and November 2024, and this Bluesky network is growing rapidly.⁵

Takeout: Could this become the new go-to platform for engaging with key audiences for pharmaceutical companies? Only time will tell as the platform continues to test new features to keep up with demand; however, it certainly is a social media rising star.⁶ Depending on individual healthcare company’s objectives, it may not be the right audience; nevertheless, it certainly should be explored as a potential platform to be added into the marketing mix.

What continues to stay current?

Leveraging LinkedIn

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Whilst the world around us continues to evolve, one social media platform stands out as a consistent place for engaging key healthcare and pharmaceutical audiences – LinkedIn.

The number of healthcare professionals on LinkedIn has grown year-on-year over the past five years, and the upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing down, even as other major platforms continue to evolve their offering.⁷

Takeout: LinkedIn remains a valuable channel for stakeholder communication and engagement. As a network aimed at professionals, audiences are primed to engage with companies within their field. Whilst companies should stay afoot with new trends and platforms, LinkedIn continues to offer the opportunity to optimise content and engage with key stakeholders.

Staying ahead in a shifting social landscape

As social media continues to evolve at pace, healthcare companies must aim to remain informed and strategic as platforms change and algorithms shift. Key considerations for social media include:

Investing in ongoing education around platform updates and regulatory changes
Leveraging data-driven insights to guide strategy
Prioritising authenticity and trust as credibility is paramount
Experimenting thoughtfully and compliantly with relevant emerging platforms and formats

Ready to take the next step? Let’s do it together.

At Precision AQ, we understand social media. With 15 offices across the globe and deep international expertise, our strategies are built on inclusive thinking and industry insight. Get in touch to find out more about our successes in this area and how we can help advance your social media approach.

Contact Steeve.Lamontagne@precisionaq.com or visit precisionaq.com/en-gb.

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